Department Listing

Staff Listing

ARDA Spirit

By Jenny Davlin

One of the best parts about being a
member of ARDA is our community. Whether you focus on the regulatory and
advocacy aspect or find value through AIF research and education, the ARDA community
belongs to all members. And there was no better sense of this community spirit
than at this year’s ARDA World 2017.

Everywhere you looked, there was
greatness being shown by our members.

They tirelessly volunteered,
attended meetings, and contributed to the core work of task forces, committees,
and councils. The Awards Gala recognized and celebrated many of the exceptional
people, products, and passion in the industry. And the remarkable speakers and
top-notch parties created an environment where every ARDA member in attendance
benefited, learned, and laughed.

There is a common belief among our
members that change brings positive opportunities for our timeshare owners and
our businesses, and there were some significant changes during this ARDA World.
We said good-bye to the outstanding leadership of past Chairman Weisz and
welcomed Chairman Wang who will guide us for the next two years. Our
foundations are strong and growth continues—all positive signs for our members.

We want to thank you for your
membership and continued support! Our team continues to value your feedback and
appreciates your contributions. We look forward to seeing many of you at our
regional meetings, Fall Conference and other events.

Creating Luxury and
Beauty

Three Resorts Score
Top Awards

By: Kathryn Mullan

At this year’s ARDA Awards Gala, three different resorts won
the ACE Project of Excellence Award, which recognize some of the front-runners
in today’s vacation ownership resorts. Broken into three distinct categories—Domestic,
International Large Developer and International Small Developer—each winning
resort is truly one of a kind.

RiverWalk Resort on Loon Mountain sits at the edge of a
mountain river, settled around an old New Hampshire paper mill. The land it was
developed on encompasses a rich part of the Loon Mountain community history. What has emerged on this land is a luxuriant resort with
fractional suites, a penthouse level, a full-service spa, state-of-the-art game
room, luxury owners’ club, a shuttle to Loon Mountain, and a short drive to
many of White Mountain’s natural wonders and attractions. Every unit features
spectacular mountain views. The resort also features several amenities that are
firsts in the area: a commercial winery called “7 Birches” on premises, and an indoor/outdoor
swimming pool that is engineered to convert to an ice skating rink during the
winter. RiverWalk Resort on Loon Mountain is an award-winning lodge
that blends history, natural beauty and a vacation experience into one.

International Large
Developer Winner: Marriott Vacation Club at Surfer’s Paradise—Marriott
Vacations Worldwide Corp.

Located in Queensland, on the Gold Coast of Australia,
Marriott Vacation Club at Surfer’s Paradise has quite the story to tell. To
start, the developer acquired a hotel that was not having much success and turned
the top eight floors into exquisite timeshare villas—all in only nine months (from
conception to opening day). The game plan was simple: to retain eight floors of this
beautiful, yet somewhat tired property and convert to 88 Vacation Ownership
Villas with top-notch amenities. They re-landscaped the exterior and installed
a saltwater lagoon pool that has friendly fish that hang around with the
swimmers. They put in floor-to-ceiling glass so the guests may fully
view the mountains, the Nerang River, and the Pacific Ocean. The décor throughout reflects
the history of the region, while still being simple, crisp, light and playful. They
even redesigned the lounge and made it open air. Overall, this Surfer’s Paradise is a true project home-run
and has been successful among owners, guests, and shareholders alike.

International Small
Developer Winner: Palafitos Overwater Bungalows at El Dorado Maroma, A
Beachfront Resort by Karisma

Located on one of the world’s top 10 beaches, Riviera Maya’s
Maroma Beach, Palafitos Overwater Bungalows at El Dorado Maroma offers both
beautiful accommodations and innovative touches. These bungalows are Mexico’s first
over-the-ocean suites, featuring glass floors over the bright turquoise water. With these 30 bungalows, guests create memories that feel
more like dreams. Inside each of these huts is their own private infinity pool,
indoor Jacuzzi, glass bottom floors, and a personal ladder right into the
Pacific Ocean for when they want to go for a dip. Each guest is also pampered
with an on-site spa, world class restaurant, and customized beach picnics
creating what feels like a utopia. Personalized services run the gamut from 24-hour
room service, exclusive beach beds, customized beach picnics, and full butler
service on-demand. The core beauty of this resort is also in its sustainability
and eco-friendliness. During development, they used all native materials to
construct the units, and the base of each bungalow serves also as an artificial
reef to encourage activity and growth of marine life. Overall, it is truly a
remarkably beautiful and eco-friendly resort that is well deserving of this ACE
Award. Each of these winners have truly remarkable resorts that are
bringing new innovations and ideas into the timeshare industry. May they
inspire many more great works that we will celebrate at next year’s awards
night!

Getting It Right

By: Howard C. Nusbaum, President

A favorite quote of mine comes from famed management
consultant, educator and author Peter Drucker, who said “management is doing
things right; leadership is doing the right things.” And ARDA has been blessed
with a continuing line of leaders who are all about “doing the right thing.”

Using the excitement and high energy from this year’s ARDA
World, we are excited to keep the momentum of strong leadership going with the
torch passing to Mark Wang (President and CEO of Hilton Grand Vacation) as our
new Chair. One of the great benefits of this rotation of leaders every two
years is the ability to bring fresh perspectives while maintaining important continuity—keeping
our association and mission lean and relevant for today’s world.

Mark is the latest in a line of impressive leaders who have
held this role, and I am looking forward to working with him as we jump into
the various programs and work initiatives.

There will not be one beat missed during this transition
time as Mark has already had a head start on several of these programs. In
fact, he helped lay the groundwork for many of our programs as the Chair of the
ARDA Strategic Taskforce—a group of industry leaders who created our
association’s roadmap and plan for the next three years.

Mark was instrumental in shaping the vision for that group
and has a great energy and enthusiasm for the task ahead. I’ve also personally
had the privilege of working with Mark for nearly two decades, as he was active
in ARDA-Hawaii when I first came to ARDA. His experience at this state
committee level (along with his role in a global company) makes Mark the right
leader for this crucial time at ARDA.

He has already begun to make his imprint in ARDA under his
new role, spending the day with our team in DC in late May. With his drive and
leadership, I’d say we are off to an awesome start!